Cognitive behavioral and mindfulness with daily exercise intervention is associated with changes in intestinal microbial taxa and systemic inflammation in patients with Crohn’s disease
Karny Ilan,
Yair Motro,
Anna Nemirovsky,
Doron Schwartz,
Ganit Goren,
Ruslan Sergienko,
Dan Greenberg,
Vered Slonim-Nevo,
Orly Sarid,
Michael Friger,
Shirley Regev,
Shmuel Odes,
Jacob Moran-Gilad,
Alon Monsonego
Affiliations
Karny Ilan
The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Yair Motro
MAGICAL Group, Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‐Gurion University of the Negev, Beer‐Sheva, Israel
Anna Nemirovsky
The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Doron Schwartz
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Soroka Medical Center, and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Ganit Goren
Spitzer Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Ruslan Sergienko
Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Dan Greenberg
Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Vered Slonim-Nevo
Spitzer Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Orly Sarid
Spitzer Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Michael Friger
Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Shirley Regev
Spitzer Department of Social Work, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Shmuel Odes
Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
Jacob Moran-Gilad
MAGICAL Group, Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben‐Gurion University of the Negev, Beer‐Sheva, Israel
Alon Monsonego
The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
ABSTRACTCrohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease associated with psychological distress and intestinal microbial changes. Here, we examined whether a 3-month period of Cognitive Behavioral and Mindfulness with Daily Exercise (COBMINDEX) intervention, which improves the wellbeing and inflammatory state of CD patients, may also affect their gut microbiome. Gut microbiota, circulating inflammatory markers and hormones were analyzed in 24 CD patients before (T1) and after 3 months of COBMINDEX (T2), and in 25 age- and sex-matched wait-list control patients at the corresponding time-points. Microbiota analysis examined relative taxonomical abundance, alpha and beta diversity, and microbiome correlations with inflammatory and psychological parameters. At T1, CD patients exhibited a characteristic microbial profile mainly constituted of Proteobacteria (17.71%), Firmicutes (65.56%), Actinobacteria (8.46%) and Bacteroidetes (6.24%). Baseline bacterial abundances showed significant correlations with psychological markers of distress and with IFN[Formula: see text]. Following COBMINDEX, no significant changes in alpha and beta diversity were observed between both study groups, though a trend change in beta diversity was noted. Significant changes occurred in the abundance of phyla, families and genera only among the COBMINDEX group. Furthermore, abundance of phyla, families and genera that were altered following COBMNIDEX, significantly correlated with levels of cytokines and psychological parameters. Our results demonstrated that a short-term intervention of COBMINDEX was associated with changes in microbial indices, some of which are linked to psychological manifestations and systemic inflammation in CD patients. Psychological interventions to reduce chronic stress, such as COBMINDEX, appear to be beneficial in mitigating the pathobiology of CD patients, and may thus provide a useful adjunct to pharmacological therapy.
